


I like the tag you have on your chest.

by yorkshire_lw



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Cheating, M/M, Pining, coffee shop AU, embarrasment, i am so bad at tags forgive me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-22 14:11:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13765824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yorkshire_lw/pseuds/yorkshire_lw
Summary: Hyungwon might or might not have a big crush on the kind man who works in his local coffee shop.





	1. Chapter 1

Every morning before Hyungwon’s classes he goes to the local coffee shop near campus to get his coffee in the morning. As much as he'd like to claim that it is because he gets grumpy and pissy in the morning and he practically needs his daily dose of morphin, that's only half of the reason he goes there. Certainly it's not incorrect that he needs his coffe because otherwise he's gonna turn into the human grinch, muttering, glaring and huffing at everything making everyone avoid that weird kid at the back of the class who bores holes in your head with his gaze. Although he doesn't mind it anyways. He is content enough with his only two friends who are the only ones he can stand - in most cases - and who aren't trashy white people who stare at you with wide eyes like cows do, and ask dumb questions without even thinking about it themselves in beforehand. No, the main reason as much as he would like to deny it is because of the red haired barista. The man with ten different turtelnecks and a smile so bright that it could even make Trump question his sexuality. 

See, the first time he entered the cafe it he thought that it had a relatively good vibe to it. It looked fresh and smelled like coffee beans which is his favorite scent. He couldn't spot anyone he recognized from uni so he thought why not come back, the coffee was nice enough for a good price. So the next day when he enetered the same time as he entered yesterday, he was in his own thoughts. Now - when he is thinking about something he is completely in his own world. He doesn't even bother looking up from his feel dragging along the floor. Therefore he is not very attentive to what's happening around him so while he was walking he ended up stumbling into someone. I'll let you guess what happened next because I know what you're thinking; "This is the part where he trips, falls in his new soulmate's arms and falls in love at first sight" but you're wrong. Hyungwon kept walking until he tripped on literally noting but air which made him stumble into an middle-aged man who then dropped his small, white cup of coffee so that it fell to the ground, making it break which made Hyungwon apologize about five times until he decided it was enough. Apparently everyone had seen it happen too because when he had apologized to the man he noticed the laughter filling up the shop. He still doesn't get what was so funny about that. He just tripped for goodness sake. God he hates people. Anyhow, a hired jogged up to them with a broom in his left hand, still with laughter stuck in his throat as he started to help the other man clean up the mess. During all that time Hyungwon was too shocked and dumbstruck to do anyhing other than stay still and watch the scene in front of him. That is until another hired came out from the staff room to see what was going on. Hyungwon swore that he had never seen a more good looking man before in his entire life. His hair was dyed in a bright red shade and his height was average but he still managed to catch Hyungwon’s gaze. Especially with the muscular gram he had. 

As soon as the other worker in the shop saw the white porclain glass shattered on the dark brown floor he too went over to the now three men. "Man you should've seen that," Hired person #1 speaks up to hired person #2. Hyungwon swore that he was going to die off embarrassment if he was going to continue. "This dude just tripped on nothing I mean how can you trip on nothing?" He continued. He turned his head to look at Hyungwon. "You must be really clumsy, huh?" He finished. Hyungwon only shrugged in response. He wasn't clumsy it was just a mistake who anyone could make but nether less it still made his face burn and turn into a lighter shade of red when the two younger men looked at him. 

He sheepishly looked down at the floor and was just going to speak up when Hired man #2 said something for the first time he saw him. "C'mon Jooheon, don't tease him too much. Things like this happen all the time," He said and took the broom from Hired man #1 and went back to the staff room, probably to throw out the glass. Hyungwon gaped at the kind, attractive man.

Despite embarrassing himself big time he still needed coffee and that was why he shamefully went to the desk to order something but as if the universe wanted him dead he looked up only to see Hired man #2 in front of him, ready to take his order. He was wearing a kind and genuine smile and before Hyungwon knew it he was already saying something. "Don't worry about that too much. These kinds of stuff has already happened several times while I've been working here and Jooheon is always like that. He will forget it in no time. What would you like to order? It's on the house, see it as a comfort gift," He said and smiled even brighter while waiting for the other man's reply. 

"Oh uhm, thank you I guess?" Hyungwon replied awkwardly as he fidgeted with the ends of the arms on the oversized jeans jacket he was wearing at the time. "I'll just have a regular black coffee." 

"No sugar or milk in it I take it as then?" Hired man #2 asked with that sweet voice that every barista talks with while taking an order. 

"No it's fine. Just a regular black," The other man replied. The man in front of him nodded and started with his coffee which gave Hyungwon space to finally breathe properly instead of holding his breath trying not to embarrass himself any more. When he coffee was done the other man waved and told him to have a good day. Good day my ass, he thought as he was walking out through the door.

The third time he entered the coffee shop there were far less people than there was the first time  and he felt relieved to see neither of the two baristas from the last time he was there but as he was just about to order Hired man #2 came out of the staff room to take his order. God only knows what Johnny did in his past life to deserve this. When Johnny didn't say anything and only stood and stared out into the thin air the man in front of him turned his head and got closer to his face to make him get out of his trance. His eyes was squinted and he wore a black cap with a blue turtleneck. He must've liked turtlenecks since that was what he wore the last time too. Only then did he notice the tag with his name on. Hoseok it read.


	2. Chapter 2

Hyungwon quickly snapped out of the trance he was in and told him his order. This time Hoseok - as it said on the tag was his name - didn't say anything , he didn't even pay much attention to him or look at him twice. He must've forgotten Hyungwon it seemed like because he didn't do anything that indicated that he remembered. It made his chest constrict. Hyungwon thought that it was a bit disappointing, maybe he even hoped that the kind man would remember him but it was stupid of him to think that he would remember. Obviously he was just a nice person and the deal with the coffee was probably just so that he wouldn't stop coming to the shop. He didn't flirt and he was most likely straight, neither did he remember Hyungwon. 

"Just a regular black coffee," He told the red haired man awkward and immediately looked down at his feet, not daring to stare even more at the guy in fear of getting caught.

"Will be," Hoseok replied. When the coffee was done and he was on his way out a text stopped him.

From: Kihyun 08.27  
where r u?

He rolled his eyes at the text. What did the younger man even want this early? Didn't he have a class to go to? To not block the path to the register while responding to the text he sat down on the nearest chair he could find.

To: Kihyun 08.29  
i'm at the coffee shop i  
mentioned yesterday  
why?

From: Kihyun 08.30  
okay stay there, i'll be there in 5.

Great. So now he had to stay there for a longer time than necessary and what if he'd embarrass himself even more than he did two days ago he thought. He sighed as he checked the time on his phone. It took Kihyun 6 minutes to arrive. When Kihyun spotted him he light up and gave Hyungwon a smile. "Why'd you come here?" Hyungwon huffed when the other man sat down on the chair right in front of him.

"Just wanted to see if the coffee is good. It would save me more time to go here instead, wouldn't it? Besides, I just wanted see you, is there anything wrong with that?" He replied and raised an eyebrow at him. "So what about that guy? I want to see if he's hot," He then continued without waiting for an answer. Hyungwon shrugged and pretended as if it didn't affect him as much as it did. Even though Hyungwon didn't have a crush on Hosek he knew that Kihyun could use anything he said in his advantadge and he'd rather not have the smaller man to blackmail him every time he watned to get his way he had been there, done that already.

"He's okay," Hyungwon lied, not wanting to reveal that he thought that Hoseok might have been one of the most gorgeous men he's ever seen. Kihyun raised his eyebrow even higher if possible at that to indicate that he didn't belive him.

Kihyun didn't joke when he said that he wanted to see the barista Hyungwon mentioned he quickly discovered so when Kihyun almost yelled over the whole shop who "this Hoseok guy" was he wanted to hide under the table and pray to God that neither Jooheon or Hoseok heard that. To his relief it didn't seem like they did. Regardless of Hyungwon's whispered shouts for him to come back to the table when he had suddenly stood up and started to walk towards the desk where you order Kihyun didn't listen and looked back at the brown haired male with a smirk. He just hoped that Kihyun wasn't up to something.

When the older man came back with an Americano in his right hand and an even bigger smirk Hyungwon feared that he might have been right about him being up to something. "What did you do?" He asked as soon as Kihyun sat down in front of him.

"What? I didn't do anything. He's very cute though," he informed his friend. "Should I ask for his number?" He added. Hyungwon stared blankly at him. Was he serious? Was he really going to ask for his number? He cursed at himself for not thiking about it himself but there was no point of it because he knew himself that it would take him weeks to build up that kind of confidence. Maybe he should have really told Kihyun how cute he thought he was instead. Rest of the time spent before they both had to go to class was Kihyun talking about how cute the barista was and what a beautiful smile the man had and Hyungwon sulking. He didn't want to stop Kihyun from asking for Hoseok's number. Besides it wouldn't be that bad if they ended up dating since Hyungwon didn't even know the man.

The days went on and Hyungwon went to the same coffee shop every day not thinking much about the cute barista named Hoseok until one day said cute barista talked to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes this was short and i should probably post longer chapters in the future but i get v stressed out and i need to work on that


	3. Chapter 3

And that time is now. It's the 16:th time that Hyungwon comes the to coffee shop and since Kihyun had already announced his liking to the cute barista there was nothing Hyungwon could do than to stop thinking about the red haired man.  A man he definitely does not have a crush on. A man who definitely isn't the reason to his daily visits. 

Hyungwon is a good person, that's why he convinces himself that he only comes for the coffee because even if Hyungwon liked Hoseok first he knows that Kihyun has a better shot at Hoseok that he has. When he had asked Kihyun once when he was going to ask the man for his number the older man replied back that it's all about timing. Hyungwon snorted at that but didn't question further. 

So when Hoseok asks "The usual?" and smiles one of his big smiles at him he does his best to remain calm about the situation. He would feel embarrassed about coming to the cafe every day if it wasn't for Kihyun's joined visits every day too. It's a shame really, that Kihyun couldn't come today. Hyungwon as calmly as he can chuckles and nods smiling back at the muscular man in front of him. The man sure does seem to have a very different personality from his body. "You come here every day," Hoseok claims. It's true and he would currently be blushing if it weren't for the fact that Kihyun does the same. However he sheepishly replies with a yes. "Any reason?" He asks and raises his eyebrows in a curious and genuine manner. 

"I need caffeine in the morning otherwise I'll just get really rude and annoyed," He replies with a sheepish smile. Hoseok nods in understanding and right at that moment he finishes Hyungwon's coffee.

"I see. Well your coffee is done so I won't hold you here forever. Have a good day," He finishes with a wave goodbye.

I'd love to be held by your side forever he thinks when he leaves through the door.

In class he sits far behind  throwing small pieces of paper on the man sitting in front of him. The reason said man in front of him is not sitting besides his friend is because he doesn't want Hyungwon to bother him. As you can guess that does not work well. The man turns around and whispers in a hushed aggressive voice. "Dude can you stop? I'm trying to focus. Not everyone wants to fail."  Hyungwon snorts at the words being said to him. 

"I am not failing, Kihyun," he informs the other man without receiving a response from Kihyun afterwards. Instead he sighs and listens to what that professor has to say for the rest of the hour. When Kihyun and Hyungwon walks out they're met with Hyunwoo and what they assume is his boyfriend Minhyuk. They don't know know Munhyuk that well, they've only seen him a couple of times but from Hyunwoo's fond conversations of him he seems annoying. No offense to the guy standing beside Hyunwoo but Hyungwon doesn't necessarily like clingy people who are loud and stubborn. They greet each other and they're right because the man's name is in fact Minhyuk. 

The orange haired man smiles at them and starts talking. He talks the ears off them. He talks nonstop from the lecture hall till the Library they decide to go to and then they arrive Hyungwon thinks that the orange haired man will stop talking since it's a library and all that but does he keep quiet for once? No, he whispers instead and Kihyun and Hyungwon are the ones that has to deal with it because Hyunwoo practically begged them last night to be nice to Minhyuk. 

Don't get me wrong. He doesn't dislike the guy, he even tales a liking to the other rather quickly which is rare for Hyungwon but who cares about the bitch of a woman who made him pay for a perfume he didn't even break as Minhyuk like tk word it. Not Hyungwon at least. The lovestruck man sitting besides him does. He looks absorbed in the story that Minhyuk has been telling for 20 minutes now. If someone would see the pair they would think that Minhyuk is talking about the most interesting thing in the whole word. It's disgusting how blind love apparently makes you. 

***

It's two days after meeting Minhyuk that Kihyun and Hyungwon is at the now all too familiar coffee shop. The warmth hits their too cold faces when they open the door and Hyungwon sighs in relief. He hates the cold and is never out for longer than he has too when it's winter. He doesn't get to enjoy the comfort of the warmth for long though because Kihyun hits him a little too hard followed by an 'ouch' and a finger pointing not so discretely at the famous barista. 

As soon as he looks at him he gets why Kihyun reacted that way. Hoseok has dyed his hair black. Now if Hyungwon thought that Hoseok was absolutely breathtaking with red hair he is so much more with black hair. He laughs at something his customer says and wow. He has to collect before pretending to be unbothered and he decides that a shrug will do as a good enough reply. He thinks that if he'd say something his voice would probably shake. 

"This is the perfect timing," Kihyun exclaims and is suddenly in a rush to get to the counter to get his order - and Hoseok's number. When he gets there he puts one one of the smiles he knows he only saves to try and get guys with. "Have you dyed your hair?" He asks the barista with the same smile and reaches out his hand. Hoseok understand what he means and lowers his head to let Kihyun let his hand run through the other man's hair. 

"Are you flirting with me?" Hoseok asks with a knowing smile and rests his elbows on the counter. Well that was easy, Hyungwon thinks and shrinks into himself while he watches the scene in front of him unfold. Hoseok looks behind Kihyun and nods. "I have orders to take so if you would just give me your order I will write down my number on the cup. How does that sound? Kihyun is your name right?" He asks and waits for the dumbfounded man in front of him to give him an answer. Hyungwon elbows him to get him out of his own little dreamland. 

He quickly recovers from his state and gives him his best toothy smile. "That sounds lovely," he finally answers.

Later he says that he only payed back for when  Kihyun had elbowed him and he also says that he made him a favor anyways which is true. But he can't help the feeling he feels in the chest when he thinks about Hoseok and Kihyun together. No matter how hard he tries to fall asleep that night the barista lingers in his head and refuses to leave only until he passes out of exhaustion. Hyungwon thought that he could handle this but maybe he can't and when Kihyun announces that they've been on their first date it hurts more than he thought that it would. He didn't think a small crush would have that effect on him. 

The first time Hyungwon actually hangs out with Hoseok - and Kihyun of course. It's okay. Hoseok keeps asking him questions as what he majors in, if he likes it, he asks about his family. All those kind of basic questions you ask when you get to know someone. Out of politeness - and definitely not because he himself would die to know things about the man - he asks the same questions. 

He gets to know that Hoseok majors in litterateur and that his family consists of his brother and his two parents that he treasures a lot it seems like. He gets to know that he goes to the gym twice a week who anyone would be able to figure out with only one look at the man. He learns the small details to Hoseok that seems irrelevant to others but to Hyungwon it’s something that needs to be protected. He doesn’t stop smiling for an hour until he notices the intertwined fingers Kihyun and Hoseok has under the small table located in the ramen place that Hoseok mentioned he thinks so well off. Only then he drops his smile and replaces it with a frown. He had almost forgotten that the two men are dating now and the reality hits him at the end of the day. It always does. 

It hurts to see, but it also makes him happy to see his best friend so happy with his boyfriend and it’s his own fault for being stubborn and not telling Kihyun about his liking for the man in the first place. It’s too late now, it has already been two months since they hung out for the first time and there is nothing that Hyungwon can do other than watching and trying to forget about Hoseok. But it’s not easy when his feelings becomes stronger and when he and Hoseok gets closer for every day that passes. 

One day they’re studying at the library. He has an assignment he needs to finish but he doesn’t know how to structure it. His teachers has always told him that his content is good, but that he needs to get better at structuring his texts. He’s getting frustrated now when he realizes that he has absolutely no idea of how he’s gonna so this so a loud groan leaves his lips. A groan that doesn’t go unnoticed by Hoseok. “What’s that sigh for?” He asks and ruffles his hair because apparently he thinks that the other man is cute and apparently they’re on that level on each other where they just casually ruffles each others’ hair. 

So Hyungwon explains why and Hoseok offers to help him. He says that it’s because he’s a litterateur student and that he doesn’t mind helping the other with his work. Hyungwon agrees because how bad can it be? At least he gets to be alone with Hoseok but he pushes the thought away as fast as he got it and shakes his head for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried to make this longer but like 600 words but a little improvement is still an improvement right?
> 
> i have to excuse for the grammatical fault i’ve probably made, english is not my first language! 
> 
> anyways if anyone reads this i appreciate it a lot and i know that this isn’t as good as the things you usually read but i’m proud over myself because i feel like this can be the first fic i’ve finished and i feel like i’ve improved from how i used ti write before. i don’t wanna throw this story away kind of????


	4. Chapter 4

It's quiet in Hyungwon's dim lighted dorm. Hyunwon and Hoseok are alone in his dorm as the barista had insisted that they could be at Hyungwon's dorm - "You won't be able to focus if it's not quiet" . Hyungwon doesn't understand why he couldn't have helped him at the libary. It's odd. So odd that he almost thinks that Hoseok wants to be alone with him. But that isn't the case because Hoseok is dating Kihyun. He mentally slaps himself for having that thought.

The only thing you can hear is Hoseok's tapping from the computer keyboard when he's correcting and reading over his text carefully, humming and nodding acknowledging every now and then. It's making Hyungwon nervous when Hoseok is reading what he has written. It feels like someone has stripped him bare in a light room where every flaw can be seen and it's his naked body that Hoseok is analyzing, not his text. He bites hard on his lip from where he's sitting and picks at his too long nails that he has to cut. The silence that he usually enjoys is loud and doesn't have to try hard to get frightening.

Finally Hoseok finishes reading the text and the moment his head peaks up to look at him is when he holds his breath and prepares himself to hear the criticism from the litterateur student. "It wasn't bad," he says and nods to the computer he put on the desk between the two beds placed in the dorm. Hyungwon shakes his head.

"You don't have to say that to be nice Hoseok," is what he responds to what the other man said. Hoseok gives him a sad smile and pats him on the back to try and cheer him up from his gloomy mood.

"I'm being honest," He says and Hyungwon sighs. 

"How am I supposed to know how to structure it when everyone tells me that I have to learn it but never teach me?" He asks putting up his hands in frustration.

"Look," Hoseok starts. "First you have to have an intro. It's basically just an intoduction to your text. Then you can write all the facts and everything else, yeah? But Hyungwon, for the love of God, you can't start writing about something completely different in the same subsection. Then you have to have an outro and it's like a short summary of your text or just an conclusion. Do you get what I mean?" He asks. Hyungwon thinks that he gets it so he nods and Hoseok pats his head. 

"Good boy" He says as a joke and oh god. Hyungwon was not prepared for that. As if patting his head wasn't enough. Hyungwon thinks that he might acctually get dizzy from the words being repeated in his head. He's surprised how much it affects him, especally since it was only a joke but Hyungwon has indeed a thing for being praised. But being adressed like that is just a bit too much. He gulps and tries to come up with something to say. He doesn't know what to say but thirty seconds have already passed and Hoseok gets around to say something before he does. "Hyungwon are you okay?" He asks with a worried frown. He leans closer to the younger man and waves his hand in front of his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine", he chokes out, still chocked by the words that had left Hoeoks lips. Something seems to click in Hoseok's head and something in Hyungwon's stomach drops. It's like his brain is finally catching up to what's going on and it's hitting him like the heats hit you when you walk outside on a warm day. Hoseok slowly turns his whole body towards Hyungwon on the small bed that they're sitting on. Hyungwon sees his lips slightly move but no sound is coming out. Hoseok takes a deep breath.

"Did you like that?" He carefully asks and his gaze is boring into the other man's eyes. Hyungwon can't tell what Hoseok feels and that makes him more nervous than ever. He holds his breath, closes his eyes and counts to ten and then he opens them and is met with Hoseok's steady gaze. His heart is hammering in his chest it feels like. Hoseok is gonna think that he's a freak. "Please answer me," Hoseok begs, touching Hyungwon's arm lightly in a encouraging manner. Hyungwon lets out the breath that he is holding and it's coming out in a long and unstable sigh. What does he have to lose anyways?

"Yes," He says it in a whisper but Hoseok hears it anyways. He lowers his head to look down at his lap and waits for Hoseok to let go off his arm, stand up and maybe even walk out of the door but he doesnt. Instead he grips Hyunwon's other arm with his other hand. The younger's heart skips a beat.

"That's okay," The older tells him with a reassuring voice as he begins stroking up and down his arms. "Kihyun doesn't like it when I call him that," Hyungwon shudders at that. It really shouldnt get him worked up like this, it's his best but he can't resist it. He is going to hate himself tonight when he's laying in his bed surrounded by the dark and the quiet but that's later, not now. His brain can't process what is happening and he suddenly remembers that they're alone in his dorm. He peaks up his head to look at Hoseok who's still stronking his arms.

"Why didn't we do this in the libary?" He motions to the computer. Hoseok tenderly smiles at him and the stroking stops.

"So you figured that out then?" He asks but it sounds more like a statement than a question. The thought that Hyungwon had wasn't wrong then he thinks. It's hard to adress what's really going on because it's so hard to belive. He wonders if it means that Hoseok likes him. To see if he's right his gaze flickers between Hoseok's eyes and lips. "What about Kihyun?" The older man speaks up. Hyungwon leans forward and Hoseok doesn't move.

"What if Kihyun didn't exist?" Hyungwon asks. He is really going to hate himself at the end of the day he thinks and closes the gap between their lips. Hoseok places his hands on both of Hyungwon's cheeks when he kisses back. Hyungwon's head is spinning but he doesn't budge when Hoseok deepens the kiss. They're so stuck in the kiss that neither of them hears when Kihyun bursts into the room with a grin that is soon replaced with a hurt expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i guess this was not a surprise for y'all but here you go!!
> 
> just one more chapter and then this will be finished

**Author's Note:**

> so i know this isn’t the best thing you’ve read and i dont have very much experience with writing so i hopes you will stick with me anyways!!
> 
> and yea i known hyungwon is the onlw wearing turtlenecks the most but i didn’t originally mean to write a monsta x fic hehe 
> 
> i just want to say thanks for reading and i will try to update often if anyone even wants to read this.


End file.
